South Post Oak Recycling Center: Serving the Community and a Greater Cause

When you look around the city and see cranes, you see an indication of old metal coming down and likely new metal going up. When you see manufacturing facilities that use metal in their production process, then you know there is scrap metal which has more value than occupying a landfill. Government and city contracts that require trades such as electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians revolve around the usage of metal. The City of Houston and surrounding cities are increasing their focus on recycling efforts in order to become more progressive and the benefit is two-fold: environmental and monetary.

In our everyday lives, we evaluate the quality of a finished product before making a purchase. When buying a car we consider the mileage, comfortability and the interior design. We look at the beauty of the exterior and ponder on the color we’re considering, but who looks at the actual exterior of the car and thinks about how it became the shiny object before our eyes? South Post Oak Recycling Center (SPORC) does. Scrap metal is their specialty and opportunity is their investment. They build their relationships with clients based on trust – trust that they are receiving metal that can be molded into something greater in its next life.

As the second-generation owner, Brandi Harleaux is a female entrepreneur who left Corporate America as an executive after 12 years, with a very deliberate intention on being passed the baton of building a legacy at South Post Oak Recycling Center. While sharing the same values her parents did, “Moving metals responsibly, building and maintaining a great team of people, listening to our customers, generating quality material, providing exceptional service and having great relationships,” SPORC has valued this vision for 23 years. Moving forward, the company has revised its vision to “building on a legacy, how recycling metal impacts/benefits industry and government/city entities as well as community/economy impact.” The reason why SPORC is a local success story that eventually expanded into the Southeast Houston area and acquired multiple MBE designations including COH, POH, and HUB within the past four years is because of its willingness to reshape its mold.

From humble beginnings in 1994, SPORC focused on servicing working class people: plumbers, electricians and HVAC technicians with easy access to offload any scrap metal (i.e. brass valves, insulated copper wire) accumulated from job sites/project sites throughout the course of the day or week. Servicing the everyday blue-collar family was not a penetrating market in the recycling industry because commercial accounts offered more product and cash flow. SPORC focused almost solely on households, contractors and light industrial. They’ve since expanded to manufacturing, government/city entities, demolition companies and corporations with departments such as facilities and maintenance, property disposal investment recovery and asset disposition. SPORC’s loyalty to household accounts as well as private and public sectors makes them an exception to an ever-changing market.

SPORC is the good guy and they hold the best interest of their clients at heart. “…SPORC supported our Disposal team throughout this contract by providing expert analysis, effective communication, conscientious teamwork and timely removals. I realize that our companies’ scrap metal handling is often difficult by nature and in every instance, SPORC went out of its way to facilitate removals expeditiously, giving graciously of their time and resources.”

Client testimonials pulsate through the veins of the neighborly business that built its foundation on the premise of customer service. SPORC is an award-winning business founded by a minority race couple, functioning by a diverse qualified team who reflects the core values of the company, but most importantly they owe their success to the everyday working class citizen. They see more than a factory worker or a 9-5 shift; they see significance in the person and the product they trust in the hands of their company.

The business of recycling metals in the Houston area fluctuates depending on supply and demand like any other lucrative field (oil and gas, for example). With a second location in Southeast Houston thriving as well, SPORC knows what sets them apart from competitors and owes all their success to dedication. SPORC offers an array of services to the community from recycling iron, copper, aluminum and other metals. When these metals become scraps, SPORC uses this as an opportunity to recycle and educate businesses on environmental awareness. SPORC pays customers for their time, product and value. With a diverse team of all races, creeds and religions who reflects its company’s history as a minority-owned business, SPORC is also actively involved in Houston’s culture and society. The leadership team is engaged with various boards and committees that serve Houston and Texas in their industry. SPORC serves as a collaborative community on Houston’s Air Pollution and holds board positions on the recycling Council of Texas (RCOT) and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). SPORC prides itself on productivity, enabling proactive influential impacts on the city, state and nation.

SPORC is consciously aware of the pressing issues in its industry and Brandi Harleaux carries the same values of her company by mentoring in the esteemed University of Houston’s Wolf Center of Entrepreneurship Mentor Program. As SPORC continues to strive for change in the environment and their industry, Harleaux recognizes the disappointing number of women in entrepreneurship. That’s why she dedicates her efforts to molding like-minded young females. SPORC also volunteers its time and resources for community back-to-school drives and recycling fairs. All in all, the face of South Post Oak Recycling Center reflects its core values and impactful selfless team effort on businesses and an eco-friendly Houston, Texas